Your Coffee Your Images - Page 3

Want to talk espresso but not sure which forum? If so, this is the right one.
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CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster)
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#21: Post by CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster) »

@greymatters

Thanks for sharing. Fun to see. Very nice shots. Pun intended.
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mdmvrockford
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#22: Post by mdmvrockford »

Here is "serious" photograph after week of watching instructional youtube photography videos. By "serious" I mean intentional/planning and executing photographs. Light is all LED (continuous) with no natural lighting and all room artificial lights off. Light manipulation is done via cardstock and foamboards (matte black and white color). Camera is smartphone on tripod. This photo settings are F1.8, ISO 400, 1/8 second, 5.40mm, auto white balance, no flash and Pro mode

I wanted to take photograph with ISO under 200 to minimize graininess and try for lower F stop. But there is not enough light for this. At my infancy photography stage, I don't want to invest in flash or strobe LED and flash/strobe trigger for artificial key light source. Initial setup is (a) key light 5000K 90 CRI LED bulb lamp placed on floor (b) portable continuous LED (6500K, 100% power setting) placed on countertop table top tripod. I am researching options for 2nd more powerful continuous LED to serve as key light and can be more easily modified for photography.

Back to espresso subject:
Coffee is George Howell Ethiopia Guduba brew roast. The bean is mainly consumed as regular brew (as it was marketed as). Here pulled as espresso for variety's sake. Espresso brew parameters:
starting external grouphead temp 182F, very fine grind using Helor 106, 10 seconds lever fully up then lever down with peak 3 bar until drops seen on bottom of naked portafilter which is ~15 seconds, then peak pressure 11 bar followed declining pressure profile. ~56% brew ratio. Judging by crema appearance, flow cone shape and flow mousetail color, blonding point was not reached before lever all way down. Espresso tasted ok including not overly acidic. The prior mentioned espresso brew parameters all helped with that.

The 1990 Cremina's wood handles are from Dave ("cannonfodder"). Logo on steam wand knob and (not pictured) boiler cap center plate warning sticker are not OEM.
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CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster)
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#23: Post by CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster) »

Michael,

very fun to see this. Loved the reflection of the drip tray on the cup. B&HPhoto regularly has lights in their Deal Zone. @TomC and I have picked up some. If you are going to purchase higher end gear their PayBoo CC takes care of your sales tax. For this reason I buy what I can from them saving me 9% off the top.

Keep up the great work. Show us more.
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mdmvrockford
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#24: Post by mdmvrockford replying to CarefreeBuzzBuzz »

Thanks for the B&H Photo Video money saving tips. On order from them (delivery pending) are gaffer tape, A clamps, 5-in-1 and light stand. Those would have helped block out reflection of center island and stainless steel freezer door.

Here is my first "product shoot" (Helor 106 original version).
Again all artificial continuous LED lights and no other room light.
Key light is tabletop lamp with 5000K 90CRI 100watt equivalent bulb (placed on floor) and additional LED light on tabletop tripod for fill (placed same height as Helor 106 but aimed up and diffused). Light modifiers are white foamcore boards. Camera is smartphone mounted to tripod. Camera setting are F1.8, 1 second, ISO 125, auto white balance, and no flash.

I need to get scroll for surface and background to avoid the uneven horizon. But for best sability for said scroll would require mount which I do not have. I clearly see photography can be a very deep rabbit hole like espresso:)
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LBIespresso
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#25: Post by LBIespresso »

mdmvrockford wrote: Back to espresso subject:
Coffee is George Howell Ethiopia Guduba brew roast. The bean is mainly consumed as regular brew (as it was marketed as). Here pulled as espresso for variety's sake. Espresso brew parameters:
starting external grouphead temp 182F, very fine grind using Helor 106, 10 seconds lever fully up then lever down with peak 3 bar until drops seen on bottom of naked portafilter which is ~15 seconds, then peak pressure 11 bar followed declining pressure profile. ~56% brew ratio. Judging by crema appearance, flow cone shape and flow mousetail color, blonding point was not reached before lever all way down. Espresso tasted ok including not overly acidic. The prior mentioned espresso brew parameters all helped with that.

The 1990 Cremina's wood handles are from Dave ("cannonfodder"). Logo on steam wand knob and (not pictured) boiler cap center plate warning sticker are not OEM.
I had Guduba light last year and it was one of my favorites as espresso. Even better than the Guduba medium. IIRC I used a similar pull with my cremina.

Great photos!
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mdmvrockford
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#26: Post by mdmvrockford replying to LBIespresso »

(A) Espresso follow up
Thank you @LBIespresso.
How do you keep your Cremina from moving? The prior post's picture was taken last night (sun completely set) and surface the Cremina sitting on was matte black card stock surrounded by black foam board to minimize light reflections from two LED light sources. Cremina has stock feet. So I knew there may be some physical shifting of Cremina with my own angled-leverage technique I use to generate >9 bar pressure. I use the angled-leverage as I lack strength to push down when going over 9 bars. Not surprisingly I could only generate peak 11 bar before machine slid/shifted. Also there was not enough space with tripod-ed smartphone camera in my assigned kitchen corner to really bear down on lever to generate higher pressure. That pictured George Howell Ethiopia Guduba light brew roast had 6/10 acidity and not much complexity. My self-made 10 point scale is where 10/10 is involuntary facial pucker.

This AM I made same bean as espresso again. Same dose (16.3 grams) but these changes (a) two dots finer on Helor 106 grinder setting, (b) starting external group temp increased to 186F [top of Cremina where thermometer sits so dark last night I misread 186F for actual 182F:( ], (c) same lever time fully up 10 seconds and same lever down and stop at 3bar and kept there until many drops seen from portafilter basket, (d) peak pressure needed to generate mousetail sized flow was 14bar this AM. I forgot my high school trigonometry. IIRC somewhere else on HB was this equation pressure (in bars) = 0.56 x Force (in kg) x cos (angle of lever). If this equation is correct I was generating around 77 pounds pressure this AM. Sure felt like it:) I had to use my angled-leverage technique (which includes having tacky soles to grip kitchen tile).(e) Brew ratio is little lower today at 52%. The espresso was 4/10 acidity and had more complex flavors. I still did not reach blonding point after lever fully down. The "for sake of variety" itch again scratched. The remainder of beans will be regular brewed (Clever Coffee Dripper) for Boss as the bean as originally intended.

(B) Photography follow up:
I was not able to photograph this AM espresso extraction described above. The background in prior picture is a window with shutters that do not block all light. And I currently do not have material to completely block out sunlight that shutters let in. 5 in 1, A-clamps, light stand to be delivered today from B&H Photo/Video:)

@ CarefreeBuzzBuzz and @TomC : I search home-barista.com and this appears to be only photography thread. Is there prior one I missed? I realize this is an espresso forum. But given @TomC is amateur photographer and one of HB moderators perhaps we can have one this one coffee photography thread expand on HB.

@ CarefreeBuzzBuzz I looked in all posts in this thread. I don't see you mention where you get got the minature coffee cup and saucer in your first picture.
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CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster)
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#27: Post by CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster) »

mdmvrockford wrote:
@ CarefreeBuzzBuzz I looked in all posts in this thread. I don't see you mention where you get got the minature coffee cup and saucer in your first picture.
Those were from the Tucson Rock, Gem and Mineral show last year right before Covid. I have looked for the receipt and haven't found it so I can't recall the vendor.

They are supposedly silver.

I was planning on going back for more this year but well you know the story.
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CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster)
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#28: Post by CarefreeBuzzBuzz (original poster) »

I found this link and there must be others for Coffee Charms
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#29: Post by mdmvrockford replying to CarefreeBuzzBuzz »

Thanks!
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LBIespresso
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#30: Post by LBIespresso »

mdmvrockford wrote: How do you keep your Cremina from moving?
Despite the fact that I have the felt things on the feet of my Cremina to help me slide it on the counter, it does not move when I pull a shot. I have Gabor's pressure gauge on mine to help me with consistency in my pulls especially when I go back and forth with different profiles.

While I don't think I ever pull harder than 9 bars I have found a technique that makes it easier to be more precise with the pressure, at least for me.

I have found that having the machine closer to the edge of the counter helps. I pull and never push. My pull motion is like the opposite of a boxer's uppercut (think elbow close to the body). This position makes it easier for me to see both the shot mirror and look up at the pressure gauge. It also makes it easier for me to gradually back off the pressure as the shot progresses.

To say my camera skills are nowhere near yours doesn't give you enough credit. But I hope my description was clear enough to help you.
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